snowball Definition
- 1a ball of snow pressed together in the hands, typically for throwing at other people as a game or in fun
- 2a thing that grows rapidly in significance, size, or impact
Using snowball: Examples
Take a moment to familiarize yourself with how "snowball" can be used in various situations through the following examples!
Example
The children were having a snowball fight in the park.
Example
The problem started small, but it quickly snowballed into a major crisis.
Example
Her debt snowballed after she lost her job.
snowball Synonyms and Antonyms
Phrases with snowball
Example
She always makes a mountain out of a molehill, turning small issues into big problems.
a situation in which something increases in size or importance at an accelerating rate
Example
The snowball effect of the pandemic caused widespread economic damage.
Example
He has a snowball's chance in hell of winning the race against the top runners.
Origins of snowball
from the combination of 'snow' and 'ball'
Summary: snowball in Brief
A 'snowball' [ˈsnəʊbɔːl] is a ball of snow made by pressing snow together, often thrown in games. It also refers to a thing that grows rapidly in significance, size, or impact, as in 'The problem started small, but it quickly snowballed into a major crisis.' Phrases like 'make a mountain out of a molehill' and 'snowball effect' relate to the idea of rapid growth, while 'snowball's chance in hell' means a very slim chance of success.
